Towel roll dispenser container with tube holder



c. L. WOLFE 3,508,559

TOWEL ROLL DISPENSER CONTAINER WITH TUBE HOLDER A ril 28, 1970 2Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed May 1, 1967 INVENTOR.

Chesley L. Wolfe BY %;4M

Attorneys c. 1.. WOLFE 3,508,559

TOWEL ROLL DISPENSER CONTAINER WITH TUBE HOLDER A ril 28, 1970 2Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May 1, 1967 INVENTOR.

S w e w 0 W" A L w I s e h c V. B

United States Patent 3,508,559 TOWEL ROLL DISPENSER CONTAINER WITH TUBEHOLDER Chesley L. Wolfe, 412 Cherrycreek Road, Cl0verdale,Calif. 95425Filed May 1, 1967, Ser. No. 639,924 Int. Cl. A45d 40/00 US. Cl. 132-79 1Claim ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE On a pair of magnetic bases is acylindrical container with a roll of paper towel in it. Removable capson the ends of the container journal the hollow core of the roll and atleast one of the caps is adapted to hold a collapsible tube inside thecore. Means being provided along the dispenser slit for tearing off apiece of unrolled towel and also there are means for frictionallyholding the towel in position at the dispensing slit.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The advantages of this invention overthe prior art dispensers include: the feature of a mounting for a rollof paper towel with a collapsible support for a cleaner cream or thelike in such a manner that the tube can be removed from inside of thepaper towel roll without disturbing the mounting of the paper towel inany manner; another feature of combined journals and removable caps onthe ends of the cylindrical container for the paper towel to support thepaper towel in predetermined position, the end caps being self-locking,interchangeable and adapted to support both ends of the roll of towels;the feature of frictionally locking the dispensing end of the towelconveniently for manipulating the end of the towel when needed, butpreventing the rolling of the dispensing end of the towel back into thecontainer; and the feature of suitable mounting means to support theassembled unit at a convenient angle for the dispensing of the desiredlength of the paper towel.

DESCRIPTION OF FIGURES FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the dispenserdevice in one form of use under the dashboard of an automobile, parts ofthe automobile being shown in broken lines.

FIG. 2 is an end view of the dispensed device.

FIG. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view of the device, the section beingtaken on lines 33 of FIG. 2.

[FIG 4 is a side view of the device viewing it from the direction of thearrows 4-4 on FIG. 2.

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the device taken at one of thebrackets.

FIG. 6 is a fragmental perspective view showing the tube holder removedfrom the cap.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION Usually a roll of paper towel 1 has a cylindricalcore 2 whereby it is rotatably supported on a suitable bracket.

In the present invention the roll of paper towel 1 is contained within acylindrical container 3. The opposite ends of the container are closedby end caps 4 and 5 which are interchangeable. Each end cap 4 or 5 has acylindrical flange 6 which can be snapped over a bead 7 at therespective end of the cylindrical container 3. From each end cap 4 or '5extends inwardly a stepped substantially cylindrical hub 8 forming abearing support 8 which projects into the adjacent end of the core 2 soas to rotatably support the core 2.

A collapsible tube 9 containing, in this illustration, waterless handcleaner of cream consistency, is located within the cylindrical core 2and it is supported by its collapsing end flange 10. A tube holder 11 isinsertable in the hub 8 of the end cap 4 and is adapted to hold thecollapsing end flange 10. This tube holder 11 has a substantiallycylindrical body 12 which fits into the cylindrical hub 8 of the end cap4. An abutment flange 13 on the outer end of the body .12 abuts againstthe outer face of the end cap 4, and it has on it a handle rib 14whereby the holder can be gripped and turned and pulled out of the endcap 4. The hub 8 of end cap 4 has a pair of opposite axial slots 15 inits inner surface, and on the inner end of the holder body 12 are a pairof opposite ears 16 slideably fitting in the respective slots 15. Thedistance between the ears 16 and the abutment flange 13 of the holder:11 is the same as the length of the hub 8 on the end cap 4 so that whenthe holder body 12 is inserted in the end cap 4 the ears 16 are beyondthe inner end of the hub 8 and then by turning the tube holder 11 so asto bring the ears 16 out of registry with the slots 15, the tube holder'11 is positively locked in place.

The holder body 12 is hollow and has a pair of converging tongues 17which confine a diametrical substantially dove-tail slot 18 with areduced slit 19 facing inwardly of the core 2. The collapsing end flange10 of the collapsible tube 9 is enlarged usually and it has adjacent toit a reduced flattened neck 20 so that the end flange 10 and the reducedneck 20 can be laterally slipped into the dove-tail groove .18 and itsreduced slit 19 and held therein as shown in FIG. 1. In this manner thecollapsible tube 9 is supported within the core 2 of the towel roll 1and can be easily removed by simply grasping the handle rib 14, turningthe tube holder 11 so as to bring the ears 16 into registry with theslots 15 and withdrawing the tube holder 11 and the tube 9 therewithfrom inside of the core without in any way disturbing the mounting ofthe towel roll 1.

A dispenser slit 21 is formed longitudinally through one side of thecontainer 3 through which dispenser slit 21 the end 22 of the towel roll1 is dispensed. From above the dispenser slit 21 extends a lip 23tangentially to the circumference of the container 3 and beyond saidcircumference of the container 3 so as to shield substantially theentire width of the dispenser slit 21. The free edge of the lip 23 isserrated to form a tearing edge 24 against which the towel end 22 can bepressed so as to tear off a selected length of the towel.

Friction means are provided to prevent the free end 22 of the towel roll.1 to roll back inwardly of the container 3. This friction means, inthis illustration, comprise three lock members 25. Each lock member 25has a hub 26 provided with a groove 27 in its bottom, which groove 27tightly straddles the adjacent edge 28 of the slit 21. On the top of thehub 26 is a neck 29 from which extends at an angle a friction lip 30.The angle of the friction lip 30 is such that it converges toward theunder-surface of the tearing lip 23. This lock member 25, or at leastthe friction lip 30 therefor, is made of resiliently yieldablefrictional material such as extruded rubber so as to permit it to yieldjust suffiiciently to permit the pulling of the end 22 of the towel roll1 between the tearing lip 23 and the friction lip 30, but other times tosecurely hold the dispensing end 22 of the towel roll 1 against relativemovement.

For the purpose of mounting the container 3 in suitable position, thecontainer has at least a pair of spaced annular flanges 31, each ofwhich has a groove 32 all around. Each flange 31 is secured to a bracket33. Each bracket 33 has a base 34 which can be suitably secured to asupporting surface. In addition two bolt holes 35 each base also has asuitable magnet 36 recessed in its bottom for attaching the base to amagnetic surface. Each bracket 33 has a stem 37 extended therefrom onwhich stem 37 is formed an arcuate saddle 38, which in turn \fits overan arcuate portion of the adjacent flange 31. Self-tapping screws 39,extended through the opposite end portions of each saddle 38 are screwedinto the adjacent groove 32 to securely hold the container 3 on thebracket 33. In this manner the location of the dispensing slit 21 andthe tearing lip 23 can be predetermined to be most convenient fordispensing the towel.

In operation the bracket 33 is first attached to the particularsupporting surface and the container 3 is adjusted so as to locate thetearing lip 33 in the most convenient location. Then the unit isassembled by the screws 39 to hold the container 3 in the relativeadjusted attitude and the base and the unit are attached to thesupporting surface, for instance, above the dashboard 40 of anautomobile. A waterless hand cleaner cream is provided in thecollapsible tube 9 and by gripping the handle rib 14 the tube holder 11is turned and pulled out, as heretofore described. Then the usersqueezes the desired amount of cleaner on his hand and replaces the tube9 in the tube holder 11 as heretofore described, and then grips the end22 of the towel roll 1 and tears off a selected length so that aftercleaning the hands it is wiped properly. For replacing the roll 1,either end cap 4 or 5 can be removed and a new towel roll I insertedendwise into the container 3. The end caps 4 and '5 are interchangeable.The construction is simple yet firm and positive in structure and inoperation and is eminently adapted for its purposes.

I claim:

1. In a dispenser device having a roll of tearable towel on a hollowcore,

(a) a substantially cylindrical container surrounding said roll,

(b) an end cap detachably secured on each end of said container,

(c) a bearing hub on each cap rotatably supporting the adjacent end ofsaid core,

(d) at least one of said bearing hubs having a passage therethrough,

(e) a tube holder inserted in said passage holding a (i) projections onsaid body insertable through said slots,

(j) an abutment flange on the outer end of said body, spaced from saidprojections to a distance longer than the length of said slots wherebythe turning of said body after insertion of said projections shifts saidprojections out of registry with said slots for obstructing withdrawalof said body from said passage,

(k) handle means on said body for manipulating said tube holder,

(1) said container having a longitudinal dispenser slit through a sidethereof,

(m) a dispenserd lip extended along one edge of said slit generallytangentially to said cylindrical container,

(n) a tearing edge on said lip whereby a selected unrolled length oftowel bearing against said tearing edge is torn off said roll,

(0) spaced friction members engaging the unrolled end of the towelaccessible at said lip,

(p) each friction member, including a part having a groove fitting overthe other edge of said dispenser slit, and

(q) an inclined friction flange on said part converging against said lipto frictionally hold the towel against said lip,

(r) said friction flange being made of resiliently yieldable material,

(s) and mounting means for mounting said container in selected attitude.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,255,772 2/1918 Miller 206471,523,297 1/1925 Savery 20647 1,582,645 4/ 1-926 Findley 20647 2,861,75311/1958 Sipior 31239 FOREIGN PATENTS 698,738 10/ 1953 Great Britain.

RUSSELL R KI NSEY, Primary Examiner J. W. MITCHELL, Assistant Examiner

